Sheboygan man charged in days-long string of assaults on woman

SHEBOYGAN - A Sheboygan man accused of holding a woman captive for several days and “beating the crap out of her” earlier this month is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.

Kris M. Marcelle, 30, faces five felony charges: for kidnapping, seizing or confining without consent; false imprisonment; second-degree reckless injury; intimidating a victim by use of or attempted force; and strangulation and suffocation. He’s also facing three misdemeanor charges: for resisting or obstructing an officer; disorderly conduct; and battery.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Aug. 2 in the Sheboygan County Courthouse.

According to the criminal complaint:

Sheboygan police were called to a report of a man assaulting a woman on the city’s south side Sunday.

When officers arrived, they found a man grabbing and dragging a woman, who was screaming and trying to free herself. Police later identified the man as Marcelle, who released the woman as officers approached and then began walking briskly toward what was determined to be his home nearby, where he disappeared through a doorway.

The woman had a black eye and swelling on her face. She was also holding her left arm and complained of a broken collarbone. She told police she was pregnant and that Marcelle had “beat the crap out of her” while he’d held her captive over the previous three days. In all, the woman said Marcelle had slapped her about 200 times, punched her more than 40 times and choked her on numerous occasions since the series of assaults had begun days earlier.

Officers knocked repeatedly on the door through which Marcelle had gone, but didn’t get a response. Police obtained a warrant to enter the residence, but as they were about to enter the home, Marcelle came to the door, unlocked it and was arrested by police.

The woman told police she’d been hanging out with Marcelle for the previous five days, but that the violence hadn’t begun until last Thursday. On that day, she said, Marcelle seemed to have become paranoid. They drove around while he asked her where her phone was. While looking for her phone, they pulled into a business’ parking lot; the woman wanted to get away, but Marcelle came to her side of the car, took her to the ground and began choking her.

As the two then drove away, the woman said Marcelle said, “tonight’s the night you’re going to die,” before accelerating. Marcelle then turned the wheel — she believed he was trying to flip the vehicle — but when it didn’t flip, he continued driving and eventually returned to his home.

The next day, Friday, the woman tried fleeing again. But as she did so, Marcelle put her in a chokehold and took her to the ground. This time, she landed on her shoulder and felt something break.

When she later told Marcelle she needed something more than Tylenol for her shoulder pain, Marcelle said she shouldn’t go to any Sheboygan hospitals because doctors there wouldn’t do anything for her. He drove her instead to a hospital in Manitowoc, where she was treated for her injuries.

At another point, the woman said Marcelle told her he had a knife and had threatened to kill her.

On the day police were called, the woman said she’d seen a chance to escape and had run toward the street, but Marcelle chased her and the two ended up fighting in the road. The woman said she was screaming for help, and that at about that time a car drove up with a man on his phone. Marcelle told her they needed to get to the mini-mart before police showed up, but the witness continued following them as they tried walking away.

When police spoke with Marcelle, they noted fresh abrasions to knuckles on both his right and left hands. There was also a fresh scratch mark on both sides of his neck. Marcelle said the marks on his hands were from playing with his cat; police noted they were consistent with blunt force.

A witness who had observed the fight in the street told police the man was struggling with the woman, who was clearly trying to get away from him. When he pulled up near where the struggle was taking place, the woman yelled for help. He noted the man kept holding the woman and dragging her against her will toward a nearby residence.